would more effectually or more fincerely ftudy the public welfare. He would retire from every emolument of office, with a temper too ardent perhaps at times, but with a temper which had been broken down and fubdued by a courfe of public fervice. He thought, however, that before noble. Lords were loud in decrying his Majefty's prefent Government, they ought to point out men that would be better qualified for the task affigned them, and then proceed in a regular manner by an addrefs to his Majefty.

Lord Grenville faid, he had never infinuated that the prefent Miniftry were actuated by any bad motives, because he was ready to give them full credit for the purity of their intentions; but he contended that at such a crifis as the prefent, other qualities befides good intentions were neceffary for the Ministers of this country, which was now for the first time fighting for its existence; and he really and confcientiously believed that his Majefty's prefent Ministers did not poffefs talents equal to the government of the country at fuch an arduous crifis.

The amendment was negatived.

Lord Darnley then moved, as an amendment, that no vo→ lunteer corps fhould be entitled to exemptions who had not offered to ferve in any part of Great Britain in cafe of inva fion. This was oppofed by Lords Romney, Winchelsea, and Egremont, who contended that it would be a breach of faith to the volunteers to narrow the exemptions under which they had been embodied.

Lord Darnley then confented to withdraw his amendment, for the purpofe of introducing another, the effect of which was to deprive all volunteers of exemptions who had not offered to ferve in the military diftrict to which they belonged. This amendment was oppofed upon the fame grounds as the former, and after fome confideration, the noble Lord was induced to withdraw it.

The claufe was then agreed to, and the Houfe being refumed, the Committee was ordered to fit again on Monday, to which day the Houfe adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

FRIDAY, APRIL Ó.

The right hon. Lord John Campbell (fon of the Duke of Argyll) took the oaths and his feat as reprefentative for Argyllshire, in Scotland,

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Accounts of the amount of the imports and exports of Great Britain, of the permanent taxes, and feveral other documents relative to the revenue for the year beginning on the 5th of January 1803, and ending at the fame period in the prefent year, were ordered to be laid before the Houfe.

Mr. Secretary Yorke prefented lifts of the Irish militia regiments and their officers, who have voted to extend their fervices to Great Britain. Ordered to be printed.

The right hon. Member alfo prefented accounts of the expences incurred in the fulfilling of the 7th article of the convention with the United States of America. Ordered to lie on the table.

Accounts of the different Exchequer bills which have been iffued within the year, were alfo prefented by the right hon. Gentleman; and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Somers Cocks moved, that the order of the day for taking into further confideration the Liskeard election petitions be read. He did this, he obferved, with a view that the order might be fo fixed as that the witneffes, who were to attend at the investigation of the two questions refpecting that election, fhould not be at the expence and lofs of time of either waiting a long while in town, or else having two journies from Cornwall to London.

After a converfation respecting the propriety of fixing the time for hearing each petition, the petitions were ordered to be taken into confideration on Thurfday, the 3d of May next.

Lord A. Hamilton named Thursday next, as the day on which he should bring forward his motion refpecting the payment of officers on the Irish establishment at par.

MAHRATTA WAR.

Mr. Francis expreffed a hope that a noble Lord oppofite to him (Lord Caftlereagh) would give fome information to the Houfe, refpeating the origin or caufe of the great and important tranfactions which had lately taken place in India. At fuch a crifis as the prefent, it was far from being his intention to make any obfervations, or to prefs for a disclosure of any tranfactions, which could in the leaft tend to embarrass his Majefty's Minifters in the conducting of any branch of the public bufiness. It was well known, however, that General Wellesley's army was in motion early in Auguft. Such a great operation as the march of

that

that army, muft have been determined in council long before that period; there must have been many letters or other documents on the fubject, which were fent to and from various perfons and places, before the council came to the determination of fending our troops on that fervice which we now were informed they had accomplished with fo much bravery. He would be glad to know, whether his Majelly's Minifters had advised the plan and project of the war previous to the Governor General and Council having determined on the marching of the troops. The hon. Member concluded with moving, that there be laid before the Houfe, copies or extracts of the letters or difpatches which have paffed to or from the Governor General at Bengal, or the Governor of Fort St. George, relative 40 the Maliratta war, as far as they can be at prefent made out, together with the dates of all fuch documents."

Lord Caftlereagh declared his fincere with to afford every fatisfaction in his power to the hon. Member and the Houfe, refpecting the tranfactions to which he alluded. At prefent, however, the fame reafons exifted which he had affigned on a former occafion for the non-production of the papers which the hon. Member wifhed for: As foon as thofe accounts arrived which he had faid formerly were wanting to complete the whole, he fhould think it his duty to lay them before the Houfe. There were no accounts from Bengal of a later date than the 26th of June as yet received by his Majesty's Minifters. When all the ftate ments fhould artive complete, he would have no objection to enter into a difcuffion of the merits of the whole of the cafe. In the prefent ftate of affairs, however, he could not think it fair with refpect to the character of the Governor General, a perfon for whom he was fatisfied every Member in the Houfe must entertain the higheft refpect he could not think it equitable or right on his account to enter into a partial investigation of fo important a tranfaction as that to which the hon. Member alluded must be acknowledged to be. There was nothing at prefent in the hands of Government which could be fufficient grounds for determining the merits of the war.

Mr. Johnftane expreffed fome aftonishment at understanding from the noble Lord, that Ministers had not as yet received any account of the commencement of a business, though a great part of its progrefs was univerfally known, throughout the empire. He then argued that, from the po lition of General Lake, the intelligence of anterior date

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which was required, fhould have alfo now arrived. The hon. Member then pointed out three different opportunities at which the accounts might have been sent after the hoftilities had commenced. The act of Parliament is in this cafe peremptory, and orders that the Governor-General shall fend his difpatches by the quickeft conveyance poffible. He did not mean to impeach the character of the Governor-General in the flighteft degree, but furely, when fo many opportunities of fending the information were known of, and when the magnitude of the fubject was confidered, it was becoming the dignity of Parliament that it fhould have some official information on the fubject. The noble Lord, perhaps, would accede to a plan which had been acted upon at a former period, namely, to lay the documents before the Houfe as far as they go. They would then most probably be printed, and Members would be in poffeffion of so much of the facts by the time the other papers would arrive. If taken all together, they would, in all probability, be fo voluminous, that it would be impoffible to bring the matter under difcuffion in the courfe of the prefent feffion.

Lord Caftlereagh affured the hon. Members and the House, that Government were only in poffeffion of the correfpondence which took place between General Wellesley and Scindea. Other documents were abfolutely requifite for the purpose of a complete inveftigation of the fubject. The noble Lord again appealed to the candour of the Members and the Houle, as to the unfair impreffion which a partial inquiry might occafion, with respect to the conduct of the Governor General.

Mr. Francis difclaimed any idea of prejudging, or par tially deciding on the conduct of any man. But Parliament ought to be informed of every particular refpecting fo important a tranfaction, left its honour thould fuffer from not inaking the inquiry; it could not be fuppofed to be quite fenfelefs in fuch important circumftances. At a time when the House was told that Government were in almost daily expectation of having an enemy to contend with on British ground, he could not bear to hear of money being fquandered at Delhi and the Malabar Coaft, without making fome inquiry as to what was the occafion of fuch a war, what dif ferences gave rife to it, or how far juftice might appear to be on the fide of the British or of the enemy, though as an Englishman he must always hope to find his country in the

right. In confequence of the obfervation of the noble Lord, he fhould, however, confent to withdraw his motion.

Mr. Dent faid that, from certain circumftances that had come to his knowledge fince he had given his last notice refpecting the holders of loyalty loan, he should now move to poftpone the notice on that fubject, which stood for Monday next, until the Monday following.Ordered.

IRISH MILITIA.

Mr. Secretary Yorke moved the second reading of the Irish militia offers bill.

Sir William Elford rofe in this early stage of the business to oppose the measure, which he did from a conviction that the moft pernicious confequences would follow, and from feeling that no ground or argument whatever had been offered in fupport of it, which could warrant fuch a departure from the conftitutional principles on which the militia was established. When the right hon. Secretary propofed this measure, he understood him to have stated that by accepting the voluntary services of any given number, fuppofe for infance ten thousand, of the Irish militia to ferve in Great Britain, a correfponding number of the difpofeable force now here might be liberated for foreign fervice; a datum must be here affumed therefore, that there were now in Ireland 10,000 men more than the defence of that part of the united kingdom required. If that number of men therefore could be taken from the defence of Ireland, why were they not at once taken from the regular army there, inftead of doing it in the circuitous way propofed, and thus giving a flab to the militia fervice? It was, he fuppofed, to be answered, that there were not too many men now in Ireland for its defence; but that the militia was immediately to be increased in that part of the united king. dom: but furely no man would contend, that a new levy of militia could be ballotted, trained, and difciplined fo as to replace those that might be withdrawn from Ireland, in time to meet the danger which Minifters told us we were daily and hourly to expect. The only ground besides what was before ftated on which this propofition was refted, appeared to be that it was a mere repetition of the measure which was adopted in the last war, where the fervices of the British militia in Ireland were accepted by Government. Now, he faid, nothing could be more diffimilar than thefe two events, which were thus intended to be confounded; he felt the delicacy of drawing the contrast, but he trufted those

hon.